The holidays are known for unexpected invites, bonus guests and moments that call for an extra gift (or two or four). The good news is I can shop for these last-minute gifts in one place — the grocery store — and whip up something at home that will warm both heart and belly.

When December rolls around each year, I start stocking my kitchen for those eleventh hour gifts. That means picking up staples, such as flour, white and brown sugar, unsalted butter, walnuts and, of course, chocolate chips. Apricot jam is a must too. As an avid jam maker, I always have a dozen or more jars put up from the summer harvest, but the jam and jelly aisle at the grocery store offers some promising possibilities too.

Eleventh hour gifts need to be easy — recipes with a multitude of steps and exotic ingredients just add stress, and who needs that? And they all fall into three recipe groups: crowd pleasers, big batch and extra special.

Apricot Walnut Bars are my crowd pleaser; the buttery crust complements a cup of coffee or tea — or cold milk — and the apricot's juicy sweetness reminds everyone of warmer days. I skip the walnuts when I'm cooking for nut-intolerant folks or small children, and the bars fly off the plate.

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A batch of banana bread is perfect for those times when you need multiple gifts. Add chocolate chips and toasted, chopped walnuts to the bread for richness and texture. A mini-loaf pan does all the work. In a little more than an hour, one batch of banana batter yields four loaves of aromatic, delicious bread. (Keep a close eye on the breads when you use mini-loaf pans. They cook much faster in these than in single pans.) Let the loaves cool, wrap them in foil, add a bow and you're done.

And when you want to give something extra special, stir a pot of lemon juice, eggs, sugar and unsalted butter over low heat until it thickens into luscious lemon curd. Pour the curd into small canning jars and keep them in the refrigerator until you're ready to share. Then pack a jar in a basket with a store-bought scone mix and tea — and a tag that reminds the recipient to keep the curd refrigerated.

What's not to love? This may be the eleventh hour, but that's not a problem. With these recipes, that's all the time you need.